How To Defend Yourself Against Someone Bigger And Stronger Than You

Jay Dawson June 12th 2017 Health

All of us come in a variety of shapes and sizes. It's part of the wonderful weirdness called life. If you get into a fight, or you find yourself in a situation where you're forced to defend yourself, though, being bigger and stronger definitely has its advantages. Even if your attacker is not skilled, simply being able to throw their weight around will make them very tough to beat. But if you are smaller than your opponent, there are strategies you can employ to have you come out on top, every time. Whether you're a guy or a girl, these are the vital tips you need to turn the tables and get you out of trouble...

Don't Fight Unless You Have To

This should probably go without saying, but violence isn't always the only solution to a tense situation. Don't take Kim Jong Il as your guide: there are infinitely better ways to not get hurt than to pick a fight, especially if you're smaller. Often, violence and threats will only make a situation worse, not better. Even if you do win the fight, you're going to have a very pissed off loser who won't let a grudge go so easily.

If you find yourself in a fight scenario, or somewhere where things are about to get really ugly, the first thing to do is try to defuse the situation. Humor (although not directed at the opponent) can get you far, as well as careful diplomacy. Remember the tactics you would use on your parents to get something free as a child? Try doing that. If you can, run away or at least sidle on out of the bar. There's nothing cowardly about not getting beaten to a pulp.

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Keep Your Guard Up

When the fight seems unavoidable, it's time to think first and foremost about protecting yourself. There are going to be some pretty big punches thrown here, so at least you can try and deflect and avoid the worst of it. Getting into a standard fighter's stance also makes it look like you've done this kind of thing before, and may make your attacker think twice about taking you on.

Get into the stance by putting both arms up parallel to each other, lightly clenching your fists with palms inwards. Don't put your thumbs into the fists - that way leads to quickly broken fingers. All you want to be doing is protecting your face and head, i.e. the fragile bits of your body, while still being ready to launch a flurry yourself. Doing this, of course, is going to make your groin seem pretty attractive for a first strike. Don't worry, keep your guard up, and avoid low blows by twisting your body instead of leaving your head open for a follow-up blow.

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Dodge And Dance

Now, this is probably the most important lesson you can take away from all this, and probably what's going to win you the fight. As you'll see in the video, you've got to try and keep out of the way of your attacker as much as possible. The less their punches connect, the better for you, and the less time (and money) you'll be spending in hospital.

Not only that, by dodging and dancing and circling your opponent, you're wearing them out. Remember that they're bigger and heavier than you, and they have to use more energy to move their bulk around. Make them chase you, and they'll get more tired, more quickly. They'll also get hella frustrated when they can't land a blow, and pretty soon they'll be making all kinds of stupid mistakes that you can capitalize on.

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Be Prepared For Some Pain

When some of those punches do land - and they will, there's no avoiding it forever - you have to be ready to soak up that pain. If you can't bounce back from a hit, and bounce back quickly, then that one punch is going to followed up by a whole tornado more. We're not suggesting you punch yourself at home to get used to it - we're just saying that as the fight is starting, you need to realize, and come to terms with, the fact that there will be some pain and that you can deal with it.

Adrenalin is going to help you a lot in this fight, so don't battle with the fear and (maybe) excitement that's coursing through your body. With adrenalin flooding your system, you'll feel that pain far less and it won't come as such as a surprise. Also, try to take punches on the less sensitive parts of your body, like your shoulders and forehead, which can take far more of a hit.

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Surprise Them

Big, strong fighters all have one fairly obvious thing in common: they've been in a bunch of fights. All those poundings are not going to have done wonders for their mental speed, so when it comes to pulling surprises, you've definitely got the advantage. Especially when a fight is unavoidably about to start, if you can land a surprise blow to the solar plexus (in the middle of the chest, below where the ribs separate) or the jaw, the fight's more or less won already. Just be damned sure you can connect before you do it.

During the fight, too, mixing up your tactics and having the element of surprise will keep the attacker confused and on the defensive. If you do go for some taunts or want to throw in some trash talk, make it really bizarre and insane sounding. If they're spending all their time wondering what "I'm going to lay an egg on you, you foggy unicorn" means, they're not spending their time trying to hit you.

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Beat The Distance

The one big, big thing to remember when considering your opponent's size is this: if they're taller than you, they've got longer arms. This is the key to beating your attacker. You have to remember that at a certain range, you're in big trouble, because they can easily hit you but your punches will fall way short. This is demonstrated fully in the video at the end of this article.

There's two things you can do to cancel this advantage and turn the fight in your favor. One is to stay out of range, but use kicks to cross the distance. Your legs are longer than your arms, in case that wasn't obvious, so you'll still be able to knock the wind (or even the groin) out of them. The other thing you can do is get in real close, where they won't have the room to punch properly. This way you're on a level playing field.

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Aim For The Weak Spots

Unless you're under attack from an extraterrestrial, whoever's fighting you has the exact same anatomy - and therefore weak spots - that you do. Forget about a fair fight, and aim for these guys, as a direct hit will often stop the fight and have them rolling on the floor. The groin is a good one, as is the solar plexus, but don't forget about the throat or the jaw.

You don't have to punch them there, either. A kick will do just as well, and it means you'll still be able to stay out of range of their punches. An open-handed slap to the side of the face, and around the ear, may sound like a girly thing to do, but it's a total winner. Not only will it hurt like hell, but it'll make your opponent disorientated, ready for another hit.

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Submissions And Holds

The general rule with wrestling with an opponent that's bigger and heavier than you is: don't. No matter how good you were in your high school wrestling squad, the larger person is always going to have the advantage. But having said that, there are cases when a submission move or a hold might come in handy. Just be sure that it's not going to come back to bite you in the ass.

A choking maneuver like a rear naked choke or triangle choke is a quick way to end the fight - just don't go crazy and suffocate them to death, because that's totally not cool. Then there's armbars, which are a good way to lock and potentially disable their arm at the elbow or shoulder, if they've left it hanging out after an attempted punch. One less arm to deal with is a godsend in these kinds of situations.

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Fight Dirty

If you're being attacked for no good reason (we assume you're not going around picking fights), then there's no need to be honorable when you're fighting. You don't have to abide by the Geneva Conventions, just win the fight, so you're free to use anything and everything at your disposal. Pull their hair, chop at their throat, or go straight for the balls. All's fair in unwanted war.

Use weapons, too, if you need to. You don't want to use anything lethal, like guns or knives, because this ain't The Hunger Games and you really don't want to kill anyone. But anything that comes to hand, like rocks, car keys, coffee, or even your cell phone, can all be used in a scrap. A broken bottle is good for show, because it looks menacing as hell and might even stop the fight before it even starts, but don't you dare use it.

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Be Patient

The thing to remember through this is that they're the aggressor, and you're the victim. They're out to get you, and you're out to survive until tomorrow. They're full of rage, and you, hopefully, are cool, calm, and collected. Because being patient, allowing the adrenalin to flow but not getting a rage bloodmist, and quickly analyzing the situation without going berserk, will all help you win this thing.

If you're patient, you can duck and weave and dance around your attacker till they're ready to drop. You can bide your time, not make stupid lunges, and hit them when that blow will have maximum impact. You can give yourself the time to remember all the training from this video, and beat the hell out of them before they know what's hit them. You can use your smaller size to your advantage.